Raise $6,500: Build-a-library for Minghua Elementary in Guizhou, China

This is an English version of the project:

Minghua Elementary school, located at a village inhabited by the Miao minority, is a Minban (non-government-sponsored) school in Zhijin, Guizhou Province, six miles away from the closest town. There are eight minban teachers responsible for seven grade levels and approximately three hundred students in this school. All students live in villages nearby, but some of them still have to walk along the mountain road for two hours every day to school which sits on top of the mountain. Worse still, many teachers and students have to take a long way around during rainy seasons when roads are inaccessible with mudslides.

Classrooms in this school are all built with unpainted bricks, and only some colored papers are used to decorate the Reading and Learning Area which add a little vitality to these lifeless rooms.

Despite its bare construction, the school is the only paradise for children living nearby, even including some kids who are too young to attend school. They love playing around in the school.

In March 2010, Xiao Jie, the principal of Minghua Elementary, participated at The First Conference on Teachers’ Reading Ability Training organized by OCEF and Smile Organization in Beijing, China. Consequently, Minghua Elementary School became one of the model schools financed by OCEF. Through this project, OCEF donated approximately 2,000 new books to the school, conducted teachers’ reading ability trainings, assisted the school in hosting various reading activities, and encouraged students’ participation in the management of school library.

As Minban school, it has no other sources of income but 400 RMB/year (Approximately $63/year) for each student as education subsidy from the government. The limited amount of funding has to cover all school expenses including salaries for eight teachers. Due to these financial constraints, except Chinese and Mathematics courses, the school is unable to provide any education courses on arts, sports, and other entertaining activities.

The school ‘library’ is a less-than-10-square-meter (90 sq.ft.) room separated from teachers’ office, therefore, it is imperative to build a larger library where students can freely read and check out books.

Moreover, the school is financed to provide free lunch for all students every day, a program which, nevertheless, only finances the purchase of food rather than the construction of dining halls.

Therefore, the school relies on its only hope which is to ask OCEF to finance the construction of multi-functional building including classrooms, a library, and a dining hall. Meanwhile, they also wish to have more new desks. OCEF have bought forty-five desks for them, but that’s only enough for students in fifth and sixth grades.

Project overview:

A multi-functional building including an all-purpose classroom, a library, and a dining hall with a budget of RMB 121,466.1 (~$19,230)

The goal of this fundraising project contribute to the library portion of this building so students at Minghua School can read under a covered-roof.

Note to donors: Please be sure to avoid selecting as anonymous donor if you wish to receive donation receipt from OCEF. We can only identify donors by their names. Thank you.

Thank you for all of your donations! Due to some of the website overhaul at Causes.com, our fundraising team is no longer able to send out personal thank you messages to each one of you for your generous donations. However, we still want to say a big "thank you" for your support. This is a great example of our community working together regardless of where we live!

We would like to give you an update on where we stand on this exciting project. Currently, we have successfully raised $3,905 on Causes.com and also received a check donation of $1,000 from one of our generous donors. This brings our total amount to $4,905 raised to date! We are only $1,595 shy from building a brand-new library building for those eagerly waiting children at Minghua Elementary! Please continue to support this project and together we can be part of a life-changing cause. In the meantime, we will continue to keep you updated on the progress of this project.

Happy July 4th holiday for those live in the U.S.!

-OCEF Fundraising Team
6/30/2012